Data traffic controller

Physics professor explores ways to speed up information processing

As our electronic devices — from smartphones to laptops — shrink in size, the potential
for information traffic jams increases.

That’s mainly because modern computers rely on electrons to carry and process information.

“As the footprint of electronic hardware gets smaller, electrons traveling in different
paths of a circuit start to ‘see’ each other,” says Yanwen Wu, assistant professor
of physics in the College of Arts and Sciences. “The problem is they are charged,
and they will start to affect each other’s movement. This is bad because it can limit
the speed of information flow as well as generate heat.”

By learning physics, you learn the process of logical and analytical thinking. It’s
not so much learning just the subject itself, but developing the ability to make connections
and extract patterns from observations and then use them to form innovative ideas.

Yanwen Wu, assistant professor of physics

Wu recently received a National Science Foundation Career grant to explore solutions
to this problem. She’s specifically looking at using the photon — a particle with
no electrical charge — to carry information, ultimately preventing traffic jams and
accelerating data flow. The five-year award is given to outstanding teachers and scholars
nationwide to drive research forward and mentor future scientists and engineers.

“The successful implementation of these techniques lays the path to ultrafast optical
switches and transistors that can lead to a paradigm shift in information processing
technology,” she says.

A second part of Wu’s project that she is equally passionate about focuses on promoting
science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education to K-12 and university
students. As a woman who got into science because she enjoys asking questions and
solving problems, Wu is committed to introducing female students to the nanotechnology
field.

She has made presentations at local high schools and is working with Carolina’s Society
of Physics Students on initiatives such as creating a physics study survival guide,
planning networking activities and organizing community outreach events.

Yanwen Wu, assistant professor of physics is exploring and testing ways to guide photons
on a nanoscale footprint. The ultimate goal is to speed up information processing.

Wu believes that physics and STEM disciplines are perfect foundations for students
of all ages to develop critical thinking skills.

“By learning physics, you learn the process of logical and analytical thinking,” she
says. “It’s not so much learning just the subject itself, but developing the ability
to make connections and extract patterns from observations and then use them to form
innovative ideas.”

Wu constantly explores a variety of teaching methods including creating games and
showing pictures of peacock feathers to demonstrate the way light reflects. She emphasizes
the importance of mastering concepts over memorizing formulas.

“I always try to get them to understand the big picture. With physics, sometimes it
gets a little more abstract, and I try to link it to real world applications,” Wu
says. “The goal is to find a way of promoting nanoscience in such a way that my students
and young kids can understand and develop an interest.”

College Spotlight

Every undergraduate student takes foundational classes in the College of Arts and Sciences. With more than 20 core disciplines, we provide over half of all instruction at USC, offering a diverse curriculum that enables students to transform the world around them.